Product description

Graham Hancock, an expert in ancient civilisations and author of the 7 million selling Fingerprints of the Gods, and expert too, on the use of hallucinogens to achieve higher states of consciousness, brings these two interests together in the second volume of the War God trilogy. The conquistador Hernan Cortes is dreaming of Tenochtitlan, the golden city of Aztecs. But in order to win the Aztecs' gold, Cortes and his small force of just five hundred men will have to defeat the psychotic emperor Moctezuma and the armies of hundreds of thousands he commands. Cortes expects that the warlike Tlascalans, hereditary enemies of the Aztecs, will join him, but instead finds himself locked in a deadly struggle. Even as Cortes risks all in the bloody campaign against the Tlascalans, he plays mind games with Moctezuma, aiming to dismantle the Aztec emperor's confidence and defeat him psychologically before ever having to face him on the battlefield. In this he is aided by his lover Malinal, a beautiful Mayan princess. It is from Malinal that Cortes learns of the myth of Quetzalcoatl, 'The Plumed Serpent'.
She shows him how to exploit the prophecy of the fabled god king's return to weaken Moctezuma's resolve and keep alive the suspicion that the conquistador might actually be Quetzalcoatl himself. Meanwhile Malinal's friend, the witch Tozi, wages a supernatural war of her own against Hummingbird, the terrifying demon the Aztecs worship as a god, and against the evil sorcerer Acopol who does his bidding.

Author information

As East African correspondent of The Economist in the early eighties Graham Hancock began to write a series of highly acclaimed books on economics, politics and foreign aid. His life took a whole new turn when he became fascinated by rumours that the Ark of the Covenant is real artefact, hidden somewhere in northern Africa. The story of his detective work, tracking it down to its supposed final resting place became the international bestseller The Sign and the Seal (now in production as a feature film). More bestsellers in the field of 'alternative history' followed, including Fingerprints of the Gods,Keeper of Genesis - co-written with Robert Bauval) and Heaven's Mirror. In Supernatural he described his experiences journeying to experiment with hallucinogenic drugs amongst tribes people for whom they represent a gateway into supernatural realms. His ideas on exploring new dimensions in consciousness became the subject of his controversial TED talks. Graham Hancock's books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. His public lectures and broadcasts, including two major TV series for Channel 4, Quest for the Lost Civilisation, and Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age, have further established his reputation as an unconventional thinker who raises controversial questions about humanity's past.

Review quote

Reviews for War God: Nights of the Witch : ...part historical fact, part fantasy, the effect is as intense as the events themselves. It's a fascinating read that will have you booking a flight to Mexico long before you finish the book. Evening Standard The book offers up a heady mix of action, politics, spirituality and the supernatural and we learn a lot...Convincing fantasy elements and viscerally recreated details keep the narrative charging forward. Daily Mail Five hundred years ago the old Mexican prophecy which announced the return of Quetzalcoatl came true. In an era dominated by human sacrifices and the decadence of a great culture, bearded men, white-faced, from beyond the sea, arrived to impose their law. In this fast-moving highly recommended novel, Graham Hancock masterfully reconstructs the biggest clash of civilizations ever, revealing aspects that only a genius author could unveil. Javier Sierra New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Supper and The Lost Angel Interweaving historical fact and vivid fiction, Graham Hancock's War God is packed full of blood, guts, conflict, sacrifice and witchcraft in the last days of the Aztec empire. The story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the downfall of Moctezuma is the perfect (if very gory) distraction from modern life. Wanderlust